A SPECIAL EVENING DEDICATED TO THE NATIONAL CULTURE DAY
The “Matei Stegerean” Gallery of the EFA Exhibition Center, housed within the walls of the Princely Palace in the Medieval Fortress of Oradea, proved to be too small on the evening of Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Romanian and Hungarian audiences, united by the same thirst for beauty, responded to the invitation for a soulful meeting dedicated to the National Culture Day. The event, of high spiritual standing, brought together two exceptional occurrences organized by the Euro Foto Art International Association (AIEFA), in partnership with the “Sola Fide” Cultural and Community Association, Summit Agro Romania, and the Association for Promoting Tourism in Oradea and the Region (APTOR). The evening was part of the 14th edition of the “Carol Pop de Szathmári – Szathmári Pap Károly” International Photography Festival, held under the aegis of the “Romanian and Hungarian Culture Week,” initiated by AIEFA. At the opening of the event, the audience was greeted by the president of AIEFA, photographic artist Ștefan Tóth István AFIAP, ESFIAP, who spoke with emotion about the importance of National Culture Day, while also evoking a personal landmark moment: his contribution to the officialization of this holiday through a proposal addressed to the former Minister of Culture, Mrs. Mona Muscă, on the occasion of organizing the first Salon of Romanian Photographic Artists from Everywhere. This was followed by the presentation of the International Photographic Art Exhibition “Picturesque Romania,” organized by AIEFA under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), recognized by UNESCO. The exhibition consists of over one hundred images signed by photographic artists from Canada, Japan, Serbia, the United States of America, Great Britain, Romania, and Hungary. Alongside unique landscapes captured from different corners of Romania, the works also present vivid fragments of memory: folk traditions and customs, preserved as essential landmarks of Romanian cultural values. All works can also be admired online on the AIEFA website: https://eurofotoart.ro/expo-foto-art-romania-pitoreasca/ Next, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramona Novicov, art historian and critic, welcomed the initiative of organizing these events, emphasizing the essential role that music and photographic art play in shaping and consolidating national culture. The vernissage was followed by a chamber concert suggestively titled “Enescu 70+1,” a tribute to the brilliant Romanian composer George Enescu. The artists of the “Sola Fide” Cultural and Community Association – Béres Csilla (soprano), Ichim Beata (cello), Gáll Attila (violin), Réthi-Gáll Brigitta-Éva (piano), and Thurzó Sándor József (viola) – offered the audience a refined sonic journey, performing emblematic works from Enescu’s creation. A moment of profound emotion preceded the concert: the recitation of the poem “To a Young Virtuoso” by Carmen Sylva, dedicated to George Enescu. The verses found voice in Romanian through student Nistor Ștefan (10th grade I, coordinated by teacher Daniela Vereș), and in Hungarian through Fórián Andrea, president of the “Sola Fide” Association, highlighting once again the power of culture to unite beyond linguistic borders. In the end, the president of AIEFA addressed thanks to all those involved in the realization of this memorable evening – an evening in which art, culture, and the Romanian spirit met under the sign of harmony, friendship, and mutual respect, and announced that, through the kindness of Summit Agro Romania, each participant was honored with a gift on the occasion of National Culture Day: the printed album “Picturesque Romania,” published under the care of Euro Foto Art Publishing House. The international exhibition “Picturesque Romania” will remain open to the public until March 6, 2026, on working days between 08:00 and 16:00, with free access. In addition, the exhibited works will also be projected on screens in the public transport vehicles of Oradea, thanks to the protocol concluded between AIEFA and OTL SA, bringing art closer to the daily life of the city.
Exhibited photos
